Welcome Wagon
by ElleCC
Summary: Make It Count entry. "When he walked into the cafeteria, I stopped breathing. Literally." AH, Bella/Edward, one-shot.


**AN: Written for Bethaboo's and TheEdwardEmmett's "Make it Count" Contest. Goal: 1,000 words or less.**

**Beaucoup thanks to americnxidiot for her red pen… somehow cutting 7% of the story wasn't that painful or noticeable. **

**Disclaimer: Not mine. 'Cept for my daydreams about Jasper.**

When he walked into the cafeteria, I stopped breathing. Literally. And I don't mean "literally" in the melodramatic sense that is so overused in today's colloquial speech. I mean I actually stopped breathing. My lungs stopped inflating and deflating. My respiration went from nineteen breaths a minute to zero. This was unfortunate on a number of levels, the most important was that before he had walked into the room, I had been mindlessly chewing a large bite of cafeteria pizza.

Once my body finally recognized the situation and demanded that I deal with it, I choked on the food I had been chewing. Loudly and embarrassingly. My gigantic jock of a brother, Emmett, pounded me on the back, which only made the gagging worse, and for a few long seconds I was sure that I was going to embarrass my doctor father by choking to death in my high school cafeteria. Goodbye, Dartmouth. Hello, Ocean View Cemetery.

When I'd regained control of my body, I chanced a glance back up at him. He was still standing just inside the doors, all gorgeous and dazzling.

"Wow." I told myself I was still breathless from the pizza incident. Only my twin sister was close enough to hear me and she looked up from her hamburger.

I jutted my chin in his direction and Alice's eyes followed my gaze. "Eh," she shrugged when she caught sight of him.

"Eh?" I was incredulous. _"Eh?"_ I narrowed my eyes at her. It was true that even though we were twins, we were dissimilar in all things but in last name and some DNA. However, we _were_ both teenagers. She was too into her boyfriend, Jasper, if she thought this guy looked anything like "eh."

"Eh," Alice repeated, this time accompanying it with an eye roll. "He's in my History class. Seems nice. Definitely smart. Not sure he's worthy of lunchtime Heimlichs."

I looked back up and found him standing in line for food. Unfortunately, he was now trapped between Mike Newton and Jessica Stanley, which was even worse than the wretched food this place offered. A full-scale tactical assault would be required for his rescue. I wondered where Dad kept his Army camos.

"What's his name?" I watched him pick up a tray and slide it onto the metal rails.

"Edward Masen. He transferred from Chicago to be near the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. "

Smart _and_ musically inclined? I started plotting where to place three dozen intricate "E" tattoos around my body.

"And?"

"And what?"

I frowned. My sister was a social butterfly. It would be a cold day in hell before she didn't have all of the details about what was occurring inside (and outside) the walls of Forks High. A new kid at our school was definitely an event. Alice should have been at his side with a basket of muffins and a well-highlighted map of the school.

"_And_, how come you're not reciting this guy's résumé? He's nice? Smart? From Chicago? That's all you've got?"

She shrugged again and I had to restrain my hand from moving to feel her forehead. She didn't _look_ sick, but this was very un-Alice-like behavior. I was starting to worry.

"What's up, girls?"

I looked up to find Emmett's girlfriend, Rosalie, hovering in front of the table, nearly blocking my view of Edward, who was still being escorted by Mike and Jessica and hadn't yet made it through the line.

Alice waved a limp fry in Edward's general direction. "Bella's crushing on the new guy."

I blushed and elbowed her but didn't take my eyes off Edward.

"Oh?" Rosalie looked behind her with curiosity until she spotted him. "Oooooh."

"See? Even _Rosie_ agrees with me," I glared at my fraternal nemesis.

Rosalie put her lunch on the table and winked at Emmett as she slid into her seat. "What am I agreeing with?"

"That the new guy is a hottie." Alice sounded bored.

"And you don't think so?" Rosalie quirked an eyebrow at Alice, who shrugged yet again.

"Eh."

Rosalie looked at me and I shook my head in confusion.

I gazed again across the cafeteria.

Sexy hair? Check. Eye color? Too far away to tell. Long-sleeved t-shirt covered by classic Death Cab concert tee? Check. Toned forearms exposed below pushed-up sleeves? Check check check. I could practically see the huge white wings straining to sprout from his shoulder blades. My heartbeat was erratic.

He escaped the line and walked to the registers, groupies in his wake. He had a bottle of water and something wrapped in foil on his tray. I wondered if he would accept my condolences for the impending loss of his appetite.

At the cash registers, he looked over Jessica's head and scanned the cafeteria. Who was he looking for? Had he already made friends? I wanted to stand in my seat with my semaphore flags. But, no need to fangirl yet.

He paid for his culinary disappointment and waited briefly for Mike and Jessica. Making a right from the registers, he started on a path that would pass by where we were sitting. His gait was effortless, relaxed. He studied the scuffed tile as he walked. I could feel Rosalie's eyes on me and I jerked when Alice's knee brushed my leg.

He was close now, almost even with our table. His head snapped up and his eyes met mine.

Green? Check.

"Hey," he said, as a stray ray of sunlight from the windows backlit him with an otherworldly corona.

"Hey," I responded. My sense and sensibility fled.

The corner of his mouth turned up just slightly. The Hallelujah Choir took up residence in my brain. Then his black boots and denimed legs carried him past us.

"See? I knew you wouldn't need my help." To my right, my wombmate sat smugly.

"Breathe," I heard someone chuckle.

Emmett's huge paw came up to pound my back. I would have to start taking smaller bites of pizza.


End file.
